Current hydraulic set liner hangers have a tubing wall port that leads into a hydraulic cylinder mounted on the outside of the mandrel of the liner hanger. The hydraulic cylinder can then be pressured up to generate the force required to set the liner hanger. The limitation of this design is that the hydraulic cylinders are permanently exposed to internal liner pressure and must be able to withstand the full pressure rating of the liner. In some cases the liner pressure rating is limited by the hydraulic cylinder. Also the hydraulic cylinder seals must be qualified per industry specification and the seals themselves can be undesirable as they rely on elastomers for sealing versus the threaded connections of the liner that are metal to metal seals. The present invention does away with hydraulic cylinder concerns as it places the hydraulic cylinder on the running tools which are retrieved following the job.
The present invention incorporates a setting sleeve movably mounted with respect to a mandrel of the hanger/packer. The sleeve can be forced uphole with pressure in a running tool that is directed to a sealed volume between a packer cup on a running tool and an external seal on the setting sleeve that contacts the running tool. Tubing pressure pushes the setting sleeve up to set the slips with a lost motion feature that is controlled with shear devices to allow a further pressurization to a higher pressure to then set and lock the packer. Alternatively, the running tool can be released before anything is set so that dogs can extend for setting down weight on the setting sleeve to then set the slips and then the packer after a cement job is concluded. The cone that sets the packer seal is pulled in tension under the sealing element. The upper seal on the setting sleeve allows running tool pressure to push the setting sleeve uphole for the normal operation of the tool. The upper seal can be sheared out with pressure to let the dog sub extend above the setting sleeve for setting liner hanger/packer with set down weight. The running tool releases from the liner hanger/packer after additional pressure is applied against an object on a seat in the running tool with the hanger slips already set. Seal assembly and slip location placement can be reversed so that the slips are above the packer seal. Pressure through the running tool can directly or indirectly with a hydraulic tool be used to move the setting sleeve. One of the slip seats can be an integral part of the mandrel of the liner hanger/packer or a separate part connected to it such as with threads. These and other aspects of the present invention will be more readily appreciated by a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims.